Not a Typical Morning in the Coffee Shop
by alexthelion-ess
Summary: AU where Shield has never existed and the team have never met. Skye is a hacker with the Rising Tide, but she gets in over her head when she hacks into one of the most powerful private organizations in the world.
1. Chapter 1

**_This is an AU where the team have never met each other before. There's no Shield in this universe but there are some pretty nasty private corporations and agencies. Emily is a figment of my own imagination, I do not own Agents of Shield, nor any of its characters. _**

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Mornings in the coffee house were always busy. There were people wandering in half-asleep, looking for their morning pick-me up, there were the busy corporate businessmen who were always on on their phones and always seemed in a bit of a rush. Then there were the stragglers. Emily referred to them as the Meal people. They always stayed for at least an hour and bought some sort of croissant or bagel. For the most part they were always the same 3 people.

One was a woman in her thirties, a popular household blogger. She often sat near the window and paused every so often to stare out the window at the passing people or to feel the sun on her face. She would hang out in the coffee house and write new entries for her blog after she had dropped off her kids at school nearby. She only stayed for breakfast. By 11 she was out the door, no doubt running more motherly errands.

Another one of the Meal people was a young man in his twenties. He had wide rimmed glasses and always began to blush when he spoke to Emily. He usually camped himself on one of the tables closer to the counter. He looked away from his book every so often so he could catch a glance of one of the baristas, Emily. The baristas had collectively decided that he had a crush on her but was just too shy to show it. They didn't feel intimidated by his staring so they left him to be.

The third and final Meal person was a young woman, in her mid twenties. She always ordered a light hot chocolate and then made her way to the back of the shop, close to the emergency exit. She would type furiously on her laptop. She stayed the longest out of the 3 meal people. She stayed all through lunch and only ordered a sandwich. She always seemed anxious, her eyes constantly flickering back to the front door. Emily had tried to elicit a conversation from her but only got her name, Skye.

"Thats a pretty name!" She had commented when she introduced herself, Skye only shrugged as she continued typing on her computer.

"Thanks. I picked it out." Emily could tell that the young woman was in no mood to continue the conversation, so she picked up the woman's cup and refilled it. She left her to her typing.

This one particular morning started out the same, for the most part. They had the usual flow of customers. Blogger mom came in and set down for work, and hopeless romantic set up his book.

"Good morning and welcome to the coffee shop how may I help you?" She looked up, and her breath caught in her throat. The man before her was tall and brooding. She could see the outline of his muscles through his thin jacket. He had beautiful brown eyes and his lips were pursed has he studied the order board behind her.

"I'll have a cup of dark with a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips." Emily had to tear her eyes away from his hulking arms to write down his order.

"N-name?" She hiccuped,

"Grant. Grant Ward." Even his name sounded dark and masculine. She turned and went to work on his order. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He walked past the counter and towards the back of the shop. He settled into the table closest to emergency exit. _Skye isn't going to like this._ She thought has she grabbed the chips and placed them on the tray. She walked over to the Grant and set the tray down in front of him. He flashed her a smile of thanks and took a sip of the coffee, opening up the newspaper that was tucked under his arms. Emily nodded and headed back towards the register, where someone was waiting.

It was another half-hour before Skye walked in. She was in the middle of ordering her usual hot chocolate when she noticed Grant sitting in her seat.

"U-um, who is that?" She asked, gesturing towards Grant.

"New customer. Grant Ward. I can ask him to move if you want?" Skye shook her head,

"It's fine. It doesn't have my name written on it. He got there first." Emily shrugged and went to go make Skye's hot chocolate. The young woman made her way to a table closer to the middle of the shop. She sat down and gingerly pulled out her laptop. She seemed a bit more agitated, her eyes flicking between the screen and the door much more than usual. Emily set down the hot chocolate infront of her. She could see the tension in the woman's shoulder,

"Are you sure you don't want me to ask him to leave? If he's making you uncomfortable-"

"No! Its fine!" Skye interrupted, her agitation showing in her voice, "It's fine! Please, just leave it alone." Emily held up her hands in surrender and turned back towards the register. She continued working, keeping Skye in her periphery. She saw the anxiety in the young woman's face. She kept looking over at the door then over at Grant.

Suddenly the door opened roughly. Skye jumped up when two men in suits entered the building, guns drawn. She shut her laptop and picked it up quickly. The woman made her way to the back of the shop towards the emergency exit. The men had spotted her and were demanding she stop. She turned as she approached the door, the men were closing the distance. Emily stepped out from behind the register, trying to stop the men in suits but Grant stepped up from where he was sitting and stood in front of Skye, "Excuse me! What do you think your doing? You can't just come in here with guns blazing!" The men paused for a moment, surprised by the man's outburst. "Leave before I have them call the cops!" Emily put on hand on her hip and juggled a phone in the other, she gave the men a glare. Grant could feel Skye shaking behind her. The men looked at each other, annoyance crossed their faces as they slowly lowered their guns,

"You don't know what you're doing. Just hand over the girl. Nothing will happen if you do." Ward didn't move. Emily began to slowly dial 911. The taller man narrowed his eyes at Skye, who was peaking out from behind Ward, "This isn't over. These people won't be able to protect you all the time!" With a huff the men turned and rushed back out. Emily followed them out, noting that they jumped into a black SUV and squealed off down the street. She wrote down the license plate and headed back inside.

Grant had sat Skye down and was trying to get her to stop shaking. Emily went around and made sure all the customers were all right. Hopeless Romantic approached her, asking her if she was okay. She brushed him off, her only concern, the young woman hyperventilating in the back. She grabbed a paper bag and brought it to her, kneeling in front of her next to Grant,

"Hey, its okay. Relax, they can't hurt you." Emily handed her the bag. Skye accepted it gratefully. She took deep breathes in and out, inflating and deflating the bag as she began to calm down.

"Do you know who those men were?" Grant asked gently, Skye nodded, "Did you know what they wanted?" another nod. Skye moved the bag away from her face so she could speak,

"They're part of Brennan Cybernetics. They're a powerful contracting company connected with the intelligence community. I've been...digging… into their company, finding out about all their dark secrets." Emily noticed Skye's voice waver at the word "digging." There was something she wasn't telling them. "I thought I was being careful. I don't know how they found me." Grant grabbed Skye's shaking hand. He turned to Emily,

"I've got her, go make sure everyone else is taken care of." Emily nodded and looked back towards the front of the shop. Many of the customers had returned back to what they had been doing, before. A line had started at the register. She looked at the clock, _Crap_, it was almost noon, the lunch rush was just beginning. She made sure Skye was safe with Grant then rushed off to fill orders.

Grant watched Emily as she rushed back to work. For a barista she sure was brave, stepping forward when they had first barged in. He focused his attention back on Skye. She had calmed down considerably. She wasn't shaking any more. Her eyes flitted between him and the door. She was still terrified that the men were going to return. Grant took note of her laptop, it was inches away from her hands, it looked well loved and worn. He grabbed her hands and drew her attention back to him,

"Are you sure you're okay?" A nod. Grant motioned towards the laptop, "Is that yours?" another nod, he looked into her big brown eyes, "You weren't just 'digging' into the company were you?" she shook her head, "You were hacking them, weren't you." Skye hesitated before nodding her head slowly. She looked away, clearly not wanting to continue on the subject, Grant tried something else, "Do you have any place to go?" Skye nodded slowly, she looked a bit unsure,

"I have a van. Its parked around back." She pulled her hands back when she saw Grant's confused look, "Money's a bit tight. It's the only 'place' I have." Grant furrowed his brows and pursed his lips,

"We can't have you staying in your van while these men are after you."

"Where do you suggest I go?" she asked in a small voice,

"I know of somewhere!" They jumped as Emily appeared behind Grant, a steaming pot of coffee in hand, "Sorry about that, but I know someplace where you can go." Skye raised an eyebrow, "My uncle, he lives on a ranch about 20 minutes out of town. Its nice and secluded, and not to mention he's a retired government agent. I swear its as secure as Fort Knox!"

"Are you sure its safe?" Grant asked, he wasn't to sure about leaving the homeless girl in the care of some uncle out of town,

"I'm positive! From experience, its nearly impossible to sneak in without getting caught," Emily insisted, "Besides, Uncle Phil is more than happy to have guests!"

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_**Let me know what you think and if I should continue!**_

_**Suggestions are always welcome and reviews make my heart happy!**_

_**Rate and Review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I'm so so so sorry that its been so long! The weeks have been crazy and I've had no time to do anything, especially in terms of writing. I have a 4 day weekend right now but I don't know how much I'll be able to get done. But I hope you enjoy the story!**

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2 hours later Grant pulled up the driveway of Emily's uncles house. He put the van in park and stared at the house with amazement. Skye leaned forward in the seat next to him and vocalized his thoughts,

"Holy...Whoa!" The house was huge. It had 3 stories and spanned off to the sides. Skye could count at least 14 rooms on each floor, and those were just on the side she could see. The front door consisted of two large oak doors with ornately decorated handles. The white walls were bright, as though they were painted fresh. The front yard was pristine, the hedges trimmed precise, red roses dotted the green scenery. The path through the front yard was lined with stones to step on, and passed right past a bird bath, placed lovingly in the center of the yard. Grant and Skye stepped out of the van and continued to marvel at the house. They were so entranced by the scene they didn't hear the footsteps coming towards them from the house. They jumped when a voice started,

"Beautiful huh?" They spun around and came face to face with a very sweaty man. He was dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and drenched in sweat. His cheeks were rosy from his jog. He flashed them a warm smile and gestured towards the house, "I renovated it myself! You should see what it looked like when I first got my hands on it." He extended a hand towards the duo, "Phil Coulson. Skye and Grant? I'm assuming? Emily told me about your situation." Grant nodded, sizing up the man before them, and took the sweaty mans hand. He didn't seem to be the great ex-spy Emily said he was,

"We were told it would be safe here. Skye here is an a bit of a trouble and needs a safe place." He gestured to the young woman peeking out from behind him. Phil nodded, he gestured to the door and walked towards the door, inviting them to follow.

"I have a room all set up for you. I think you will find it suitable for all your needs." He turned his key into the lock and opened the door.

"Holy...Whoa!" Skye repeated and they entered into the house and stepped into the living room. The rustic outside did not betray the modern inside. The interior was large and spacious, the living room was bright and comfy, with 3 large couches surrounding a brick fireplace. The living room gave way to the kitchen. The marble table tops were glistening in the sunlight, and the wooden cabinets shone with lacquer. Skye wasn't one for homemade cooking but she could imagine a full turkey coming out of the giant oven, and she smiled at the thought of how many batches of cookies she could make. There were two hallways leading off to either side of the house. Phil left the duo to gawk at the house as he made his way to the kitchen and grabbed himself a glass of water. He gestured for them to take a seat and made himself comfortable on one of the couches. Skye followed him and sat on the couch opposite the older man. Grant hesitated before sitting on the couch between Phil and Skye. Phil looked at the young women for a moment before speaking,

"Before we begin, is there anything I can get you? Coffee? Orange Juice? Water?" Skye politely declined, Phil continued, "First thing, I am more than happy to help friends of Emily, but I want to hear from you Skye. I want you to explain the situation in your own words. Don't leave anything out." Skye took a deep breath and took a moment to gather her thoughts before she began to speak.

"I'm part of an organization of hacktivists called the Rising Tide. We hack into corrupt organizations and help to spread the truth about government. Generally its military ops, undercover ops, transactions, security codes, the whole shebang." Grant could see Coulson grimace at her admission, but he continued to listen intently, "The last few month's I've been working on cracking the firewall of Brennan Cybernetics, they're a military contractor specializing in robotic limbs and internal cybernetics. It took me awhile but I finally broke the firewall and to say the least, I bit off more than I could chew. They're working on a special project, Project Hartford, working with super soldier type technology. Think back to Steve Rogers. It's all been under the radar, I don't think the government really even truly knows what Brennan is doing. There were memos and emails detailing failed experiments and different means to acquire volunteers. I was about to look into their patients and volunteers when they shut me out of the system two days ago. I thought I had hid my presence but I guess they're smarter than I give them credit for. I didn't think they could track me to the coffee shop. That was surely a surprise." Phil listened intently to the young woman's story. When she finally finished he pursed his lips in thought,

"So they're coming after you for the information you found?" Skye shrugged, she couldn't think of any other reason they would be after her. "What did you intend to do with the information once you had it?" She thought for a moment carefully before answering,

"Well first I was going to send it to the suits in Washington, show them what their money really went to. Then, if that didn't work, I was going to leak it to a few choice stations, FOX and CNN maybe."

Phil remained silent, thinking about what he could do for the young hacker. Finally after a few minutes of silence, Phil spoke,

"You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need Skye. I only ask one thing"

"Anything."

"I ask that while you're under this roof you refrain from hacking. I'm sure Emily told you I'm an ex-government agent so it should come as no surprise that I ask that you to abstain yourself from interfering with government matters. If you do I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Sound doable?" Skye nodded, there was no way she was going to risk being forced out of the "Fort Knox" of the town, especially with the Brennan goons looking for her. Grant interrupted,

"If I may sir?" Phil glanced over at him, eyebrows raised in question, "I was just driving through when these men attacked Skye and its getting a bit late and were kinda far from the nearest hotel. I was wondering if you have an extra room for me to stay in for a bit. I can help protect Skye, and I can help work the grounds or whatever else you need of me." Phil looked at the young man carefully, he seemed willing to work, and had clearly developed some sort of attachment to the young hacker. He glanced over at Skye who was looking between the two men apprehensively. She seemed comfortable and safe with him. He nodded in agreement and watched the relief spread on the young mans face. He made a mental note to run a check on Grant Ward when he got the chance. Phil rose and fixed his shirt. He gestured towards the door,

"Should we grab your bags?"

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**I'll try to update as soon as I can!**

**Please rate and review!**

**Reviews make me a very happy woman!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm so sorry for this delayed update. School's been crazy and my lifes been hectic but I'm not going to bore you with the details. I hope you enjoy this update!**

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_Click_

Skye shot up in bed, it was the sound of the front door lock. She strained her ears, listening for another sound. After a few moments there was the unmistakable creak of the front door opening. Her heart began to race, They said it would be safe here! she thought. Throwing off the sheets, she searched for something heavy to use for defense. She finally settled on a black umbrella in the corner of the room. She could hear footsteps coming up the stairs every so slow and quiet. Shaking, the young woman took a spot behind the closed door, umbrella raised, waiting for the intruder to enter. The steps paused outside her door, and the handle turned. Skye watched as the door inched open, she took a deep breath and waited until she saw the figure step in before she swung the umbrella down.

Hearing the whoosh of the umbrella, Emily turned to where Skye was standing and raised her arm, halting the descending motion of the umbrella. Her eyes wide with surprise, Emily took hold of the umbrella and with a gentle tug, pulled it out of the young woman's hands.

"I come in peace!" she joked,

"I heard the door open and assumed the worst. I didn't know you were coming!" Skye explained, Emily chuckled,

"It likely didn't help that I was trying to be quiet. Probably scared the shit out of you."

"Whats going on?" the girls turned back towards the door, which was now occupied by a sleepy Grant Ward. Skye giggled at his messy hair and half opened eyes.

"I came to check on you guys and almost got attacked by an umbrella." she gestured towards the umbrella, "I'm glad you guys are settled in . I'll let you guys get back to sleep." Grant nodded and turned back towards the hallway and his room. Emily moved to leave the room but Skye's gentle arm stopped her,

"I wasn't going to sleep much anyway, tell me, what happened with the cops?"

One of the customers had enough sense to call the cops when the men with the guns barged in. They arrived within minutes of the intruders fleeing. Skye and Grant gave their statements, leaving out her hacking, before leaving for Phil's house. They had left Emily recounting the story to the lead investigator.

"I gave them the plate that I got off the car and gave them my number in the event they find them. After that, they just looked through the security cameras and left. The rest of the day was uneventful in comparison."

"Why did you come so late?" Emily shrugged,

"My boss made me close out the night, lock-up, all that good stuff. As soon as I locked up, I made my way over here to make sure you guys made it." Skye gave a small smile,

"That's sweet." Emily returned the smile,

"I also wanted to have Uncle Phil check out the license I got from their car. I'm pretty sure he has a few government friends he can get in touch with. Run a few checks on Brennan." She glanced at the clock, and her eyes widened at the glowing numbers. "oh crap, it's late! We should probably head to bed. Phil wont like it if we're late to breakfast." Skey raised an inquisitive eyebrow,

"You're staying?" Emily nodded,

"I have my own room here. I come here sometimes to relax or when I want to visit. God knows theres plenty of space for me here." Skye nodded in agreement. She paused a moment as a yawn took hold of her. Fatigue began to settle behind her eyes. It was pretty late. Emily saw the yawn and insisted that the hacker return to bed, promising they would talk more in the morning. Skye agreed sleepily and returned to her cacoon under the covers. Before Emily even had the chance to sneak out the room, Skye was fast asleep.

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Grant awoke to the smell of frying bacon. He considered returning to sleep, but his stomach growled. He remembered that he hadnt eaten since the day before at the coffee shop. He groaned as he lifted himself out of bed and followed the smell of bacon downstairs. The kitchen was a flurry of movement, and he noticed that he was the last to wake up. Phil was removing the bacon from the pan and laying the pieces on paper towels to soak the fat. Emily was pouring coffee into a mug for Skye, who was trying her hand at some scrambled eggs. She was the first to notice he had entered,

"Good Morning sleepy head! I was beginning to think we'd have to start without you." She flashed him a wide smile, he returned the smile, any fatigue he still had dissipated into the morning.

"Well I could never really resist the smell of bacon in the morning." Phil grabbed the plate of bacon and set it on the dining room table, Grant's eyes followed the plate and his mouth began to water. He stomach growled again. Phil looked up at him, a smile gracing his lips,

"Well someone's hungry!" Skye giggled from the kitchen, Grant could feel his cheeks flush,

"I haven't eaten since the coffee shop yesterday!" He explained. Skye grabbed a serving plate from one of the cupboards and served the eggs onto the plate. She handed it off to Phil who placed it next to the bacon the table. Besides the eggs and bacon, there were fresh croissants along with a pitcher of orange juice and a plate of sausages. Grant almost drooled at the sight. Emily finished off the table with a fresh pitcher of coffee. Grant looked up at the older man, gesturing to the table, he nodded,

"Dig in! Settle that rumbling stomach!" Grant obliged, taking a seat at one of the set places and began serving himself eggs and bacon. The others soon joined him in serving themselves. Skey poured herself some orange juice and filled her plate with sausage. Emily sipped her coffee and took small bites of the eggs. Phil loaded his plate with bacon, sausage, eggs and a couple of croissants as well.

"Do you have any syrup?" Skye asked,

"Cupboard next to the fridge. Second shelf." Emily responded. Skye jumped up and grabbed the syrup. Grant watched, curious about why she needed syrup. It soon became clear as Skye began to pour the syrup over her plate of sausage. She looked at the confused faces of the other breakfast guests and laughed.

"It's this thing I discovered when I was a kid. The spices in the sausage counteract with the sweetness of the syrup. It makes for a pretty interesting party in your mouth." The table erupted into laughter as they tried to imagine what possessed Skye to try the combination in the first place. Skye blushed for a moment but then joined them in their laughter. The rest of breakfast continued light hearted. Before any of them knew it, it was time for Emily to head back into town and run some errands. She finished her coffee and promised to be back later for dinner before heading out. Phil began to pick up the plates but Grant stopped him.

"You cooked. I'll clean." Phil capitulated and Grant soon had the kitchen looking as spotless as he saw it the day before. Skye had disappeared up the stairs, talking about showering and changing out of her pajamas. Soon it was just the two men in the living room. Phil had settled on the couch and pulled out his newspaper, glancing over the top, he gestured for the young man to sit down. Unsure of what else to do, he complied. Without looking over, Phil began to speak,

"So I've heard Skye's story, and I know your involvement, but what about your story. What brought you to the coffee shop yesterday." Grant swallowed. He knew this moment was coming. He didn't know how to begin.

"With all due respect sir, I was just driving through. I needed a pick me up and the coffee house was the first thing I saw." The newspaper rattled as Phil turned the page,

"Where were you headed?" Another swallow,

"Headed out east. I've got some family in Florida I've been meaning to see."

"Any particular reason you chose now to visit?" Grant was running out of saliva to swallow,

"There was nothing for me back home. Nothing tying me down. Figured I wasn't getting any younger." There was a silence as Phil continued to read the paper. Grant stared down at his hands, unsure where this interrogation was going. It was another moment before Phil spoke,

"Home being Bradford am I right?" Grant looked up in surprise,

"How did you-" Phil finally put down the newspaper and looked at the young man before him,

"Former government agent remember? I always run background checks on the people who enter my house. And you sir - well just be glad you're still in my house." He reached for a folder lying on the couch next to him, he pulled out a packet of manila papers. He began reading, "Drunk and disorderly conduct, battery, driving while intoxicated, theft, assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, domestic disturbances-"

"That was just a misundersta-"

"And thats just as an adult. Your juvenile cases have been sealed. Now tell me Grant Ward. What are you doing here?" The older mans glare caused him to look down in embarrassment.

"You can either explain yourself or you can pack your bags and get the hell out of my house." Ward didn't look up. He took in a deep breath and mustered the courage to look back up at the older man.

"Okay. I'll tell you the truth."

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**What is going on with this mysterious Grant Ward? All will be revealed soon (hopefully)**

**As always please rate and review!**

**Let me know what you think is going to happen! i'm always up for suggestions!**

**p.s. let me know if I should add in the rest of the team sooner rather than later. **


	4. Chapter 4

**So I'm trying to get as much written as I can. Hopefully there will be one more update this weekend (maybe even in the next few hours?) until then, enjoy!**

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The bathroom mirror clouded with steam as Skye stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her petite figure. She savored the cleanliness that accompanied taking a nice, long, hot shower. Poking her head out the doorway, she made sure the coast was clear before rushing to her room. Closing the door softly, she turned to view her clothing options that she had laid on her bed. There was 2 pairs of pants, one pair of worn out shorts, a couple t-shirts, and a thin sweater, all her clothing fit on a third of her bed. She sighed at her options and made a mental note to find at least a summer dress next time she came into some cash. She chose a pair of pants and her favorite shirt and changed.

Once changed, she went to look at herself in the full length mirror behind the door. She looked normal, albeit a little cleaner than usual. Her damp, light brown hair pushed behind her ears and her round face set into a passive expression. Her shirt hung loose on her and allowed her to move with comfort, her pants accentuating her hips as the fabric clung to her curves. He scrunched her nose at her worn out converse. She sighed again and opened the door, ready to head back down stairs. She was halfway down when she heard conversation, curious, she tiptoed to the foot of the stairs and took a peek around the corner. Grant and Phil were in the living room sitting across from one another. She couldn't see Phil's face, but it was plain to see the guilt on Grants face. She had entered in a private moment.

"Okay. I'll tell you the truth."

_The truth about what?_ Skye wondered

"My family was a well known family from Massachusetts, my father was on his way to becoming a state senator. Everyone loved him, and my mom, thought they were the most powerful couple in politics. My two brothers and I, we were the delightful, perfect sons of the delightful and perfect power couple. When I was 10, a fire killed my younger brother, Thomas. A fluke accident with the oven, thats what the investigators said anyways. He was the favorite child. My brother and I knew it, my parents never denied it, so his death threw them over a cliff. My father- he began to drink. You couldn't separate him from his bottle. My mother, she stopped caring for us, she would sit in the den, staring at the wall instead of making us dinner. It was me and Christian against the world. My father, he lost his credibility and his job. We had to move, switch schools. It was hard on all of us. Christian started to act out, petty theft, joy rides, drinking - drugs, it wasn't long before I joined him in his mess. Even after he graduated and moved, I couldn't save myself from his influence. Senior year there wasn't a day that didn't go by I wasn't high off some drug, or drunk off my ass. I just graduated school. Didn't go to college. I moved out west, I had a friend, John Garrett. He needed a bodyguard for his...deals…" Grant paused for a moment, it was clear that he was struggling to continue the story. If she had to bet, Skye would guess he had never told his story to anyone. There was a couple moments of silence before Grant spoke again.

"I'm not proud of my past. I was a drunk junkie, but I've changed. I've been sober for 6 months now." Phil remained silent. Thinking through Grant's story. He still had a few questions,

"This domestic disturbances, you said they were a misunderstanding…" Grant nodded,

"Johns girlfriend. She was a bitch even without drugs in her system. We got into a lot of arguments. The neighbors called the cops every so often. She would cry wolf every time." Skye wondered only one thing. Apparently Phil had the same thought,

"What made you sober up? What happened?"

"I woke up New Years Day in a hotel room. I had no memory of the night before, only that I went to a party with John, 'Lots of potential customers' he said. I didn't remember anything after my first drink. I wish I did. The hotel room was destroyed, it looked like a fight. There was blood, everywhere, on the sheets, in the bathroom, on the floor, enough blood to cause worry. None of it mine. I panicked and left. John told me I had left with a girl, but we couldn't find her afterwards. I couldn't remember anything from my drugged haze. I vowed from then on, I would never allow myself to be so wasted as to not remember what I was doing. To this day, nobody has found her, or her body. I can't imagine what I possibly did to her. I can't...I can't deal with the fact that I could've killed her." The pain was clear in Grant's voice. Skye could see the despair written on his face. "I quit working with John and left. My old friend Trip has a job lined up for me down in Florida. Good pay, no questions asked. A chance at a new life."

Phil nodded along with the story, he seemed to understand why Grant was hesitant to reveal his past. Most people would balk at the mention of drug use, let alone let someone with a history stay at their house. Skye creeped back up the stairs, going to wipe away the tears that had run down her cheeks. She didn't want to interrupt the intimate moment between the two men. She felt as though she wasn't meant to hear his story. When she reached the bathroom, she took a moment to wipe her face and compose herself before returning downstairs. She made it a point to make as much noise as possible descending the stairs. She didn't want to catch the men unawares again. Grant looked up at her as she turned the corner, the sadness disappeared as a wide smile appeared on his face

"You look good clean." Skye smiled back,

"Amazing what a good shower and some semi-clean clothes can do to a homeless woman." Phil turned and smiled at the girl,

"Now that we're all dressed, how about we get about doing something productive. Theres a little shed that needs some help."

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**I know its a little slow, but I figured Grant had to have something going on.**

**Did you like how I inserted some characters? ;)**

**Let me know what you think!**

**I'm open to suggestions on how you think I should continue!**

**Reviews make me a very happy person!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry its been so long, practice has been crazy, end of quarter is finally upon me, and I have to keep my grade up. **

**Anyway, heres what you've been waiting for. **

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As promised, Phil set the two to work. He showed them a run down shed near the back of the property. As usual his idea of "small" was not small at all. The shed was as large as a small house.

"This place was originally an inn, and this was where the groundskeeper kept his stuff. I'm thinking of turning into a separate living quarters. I've had some blueprints drawn up but I've never really had the time to fix it up myself. While we look into Brennan Cybernetics, I figured you may want to stay busy in the meantime. Sound like fun?" The duo nodded. Grant made a mental list of all the materials they would need while Skye wondered about the interior furniture and color scheme. Phil saw the determination on their faces and smiled inwardly. This was going to be fun.

The first thing that needed to be done was empty out the shack. There were tons of rusted tools and projects that had been forgotten. They spent the day sorting through the junk, evaluating what was salvageable and what had to be thrown out. They stopped a little after 3 for some snack before returning back to work. Phil left them to their own devices and went back to the house to work on his own projects. The clutter in the shed slowly but surely thinned. Every so often one of them would find a dead animal, or sometimes even live ones. When this happened, Skye would squeal and make faces while Grant would grab a brush and take care of the offending creature. They didn't notice the sun beginning to sink into the horizon and only stopped when Coulson came out to find them when the last rays of sunlight disappeared over the tree line.

"Anyone hungry?" Skye threw a hunk of metal into the dumpster. Squinting at Coulson, she brushed the sweat from her forehead,

"Famished." She seemed to have finally noticed the dark sky and the crickets chirping, "What time is it?"

"Dinner time. I've got some pork and rice waiting for you inside. It seems like you got quite a bit done." he gestured to the overflowing dumpster and the nearly empty shed. Grant nodded as he surveyed the scene in the dim light,

"I think we can have it clear by tomorrow afternoon. After that its the simple task of replacing and refurbishing and all the interiors and stuff." Coulson nodded,

"Sounds good. I'll call the waste management about the dumpster, but in the meantime, your food is getting cold."

They walked back to the house and Skye and Ward washed off all the dirt and sweat from their hands before they sat down. Skye didn't realize how hungry she was until Phil placed the steaming plate of pork, green beans and rice in front of her. She dug in without another thought, Grant mirroring her actions. They talked about the plans for the shed and what would be necessary, Skye wanted to add a loft area for sleeping, while Grant wanted to include running water for a shower and bathroom. It wasn't long before Coulson could see the fatigue set in. Skye almost face planted her plate and Grant was mindlessly playing with his food. He excused himself and began to pick up the plates.

"Oh wait, sir, let me." Grant began to stand but Coulson shook his head,

"Go take a shower and got to bed. You both need it." Grant looked over at Skye, her face inches from her plate. He chuckled and made his way over to her, pulling her chair back and picking her up gently. She moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck as he made his way up the stairs. He was careful to make sure her head didn't hit the door frame as he entered her room. Laying her down carefully he pulled the sheets over her, making sure she was comfortable before exiting and getting himself ready for bed.

Working on the shed became routine, they would wake, eat breakfast together and then Skye and Grant would head to the shed while Coulson went to work in his office. After they had cleared the shed, they began to gut the building, removing the rotten wood, trashing the broken roof tiles, even removing the broken windows and cracked doors. Phil brought in some of his old goverment buddies to help with the construction. Grant drove into town to buy supplies from the hardware store while Skye shopped for interior furnishings online. Emily would stop by sometimes after getting off of work and help with whatever was being done. Phil drew up some plans for a loft and a room attachment for a kitchen.

"This is a lot of work for just a gatehouse. It's a bit much don't you think?" Emily asked Phil once when they were alone, Phil only smiled,

"What's the harm? They seem to be enjoying it." His eyes flicked to the couple outside the window. They had taken a break from building the room attachment and were relaxing in the shade. Skye was laughing at something Grant had said and Grant had a mischvious smile on his face. Over the weeks they had been getting cloer, both emotionally and physically. Phil's eye's glinted with satisfaction as Skye placed her hand on Wards chest to push him away playfully. Emily sighed,

"You're trying to play matchmaker Uncle Phil! I hope you realize what you're doing to them." Coulson flicked his gaze from the couple to his niece sitting before him,

"What do you mean?" Emily pursed her lips,

"They're not going to stay here forever. Skye has only stayed here for so long because you've offered her protection. And Ward, well Ward is only here until summer is over. After that, he has to head to Florida. Setting them up is only going to make things hard for them when they have the seperate." A frown appeared briefly on Phil's face, he looked back towards the window. Skye was sitting on the floor leaning against a tree, Grant was gathering up some materials.

"They both deserve a little fun. Let them be happy, even if only for a little." Emily rolled her eyes,

"Speaking of which, what have you learned about Brennan and Project Hartford?" Coulson turned his full attention back to his niece, his eyes darkened and the smile vanished off his face,

"Nothing good. I asked around about Brennan and they're mainly supposed to be dealing with prosthetics. I've heard whispers about unauthorized testing but nothing as large scale as Skye claims. No mention of Project Hartford anywhere. I couldn't get a hit on the car the men drove when they tried to take her at the coffee shop, it was a stolen plate. I did get a face off one of the surveillance tapes at the shop but I didn't get any hits on the facial recognition software. Another dead end." Emily sighed, she really wished they would get a lead on the men.

"You havent told them that?" Coulson shook his head,

"Like I said, they deserve to be happy, even if only for a bit."

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**Let me know what you think! Do you think they deserve to be happy for a bit? Or should coulson tell them they have no leads whatsoever?**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Yay for Sping break! do you know what that means? More updates! Yay for everyone!**

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"Good morning early bird. What brings you to the land of the living so early?" Skye walked into the kitchen and was surprised to see Grant at the table, focusing intently on the computer in front of him. It was Sunday, and Coulson insisted that they not work on Sundays. Grant didn't even look up from the screen. His brows were furrowed and his lips were turned down into a frown. Skye made her way towards the table and looked over his shoulder,

"'Body found in culvert possibly linked to missing girl?'" Skye read, "What is this Grant?" Grant didn't respond. He clicked on another tab. The news article vanished and an e-mail popped up.

_I know what you did. You can make it all go away. Come back and we'll make a deal. _

There was a link to the news article attached to the bottom. Nothing else was written, no name, no indication of who sent the e-mail. The sent address was a jumble of number and letters. Skye placed her hand on his shoulders, feeling the tension that had built up.

"Grant-" She began, trying to get him to calm down. Grant shoved her hand away, slammed the laptop shut and stood abruptly, almost knocking over the chair. He strode up the stairs and Skye heard his door slam. Skye was startled by his actions, in the month or so she had gotten to know him, she had never seen him this angry. She thought back to the conversation Coulson and Ward had when they first arrived at the house. Grant had mentioned a girl who had vanished. _Could it be?_

She made her way up the stairs and gingerly knocked on his door. She could hear rustling and the opening and closing of drawers. She opened the door a crack and poked her head in. Grant was mumbling to himself walking around the room. His suitcase was lying open on the bed and he was busy pulling things from drawers and throwing them into the suitcase. Skye realized what he was doing. stepping into the room, she crossed her arms and cleared her throat. Grant paused briefly to look at her then resumed his packing.

"You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"That's personal."

"Does it have to do with the missing girl?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Is it the same girl that you think you killed?" Grant paused,

"How did you-"

"I was eavesdropping on your initial conversation with Coulson. Now tell me, is the girl in the culvert the girl that was last seen with you?" Grant sighed. The anger left his face for a moment and was replaced with sadness and fear,

"I think so. The e-mail only proved what I already thought. I killed that girl." Skye snorted,

"That doesn't explain why you're leaving. You don't even know who sent that. For all you know it could be a phishing e-mail, probably for a virus." Grant shook his head,

"I recognize the style of e-mail. Its the same format Garrett uses to get money out of his clients. It's definitely John Garret. And as for why I'm leaving, I'm going back East, making a deal with devil."

"But why?" Skye didn't understand why Grant was so hell bent on going back to the man who caused him so much trouble,

"If I go back, he can help me clear my name, take care of the situation. The situation isn't ideal, but its better than what will happen if I don't go back."

"And what will happen? If you stay?" Grant didn't respond, he dropped his gaze and stared at the suitcase on his bed. "Grant, what happens if you don't go back?" Silence. Skye was about to ask again when she heard the tell-tale signs of Phil coming back from his morning run. An idea sprung in her head, "If I can't make you stay, maybe Phil can do something." She sped out the door and down the stairs calling out the man's name as she went. She found Phil looking over at her inquistively as he was reaching inside the fridge for a water bottle.

"Whats up Skye? Didn't expect to see you up for a little while longer." Skye wasted no time in explaining the situation with Ward. She even opened the laptop to show him the e-mail and the article. Phil listened carefully, taking in all the information. Skye had learned thats how he best processed information, through careful thought.

When she finally finished her story Phil had already made up his mind. He made his way up the stairs and headed straight for Grant's room. Skye went to follow but Coulson turned and told her to wait outside. She tried to protest but Coulson gave her a look that signaled that it was not up for discussion. Sighing, she turned away and headed to her own room.

It seemed as though they were talking for ages. Skye rotated between laying in her bed, leaning against the door or straining to hear the conversation in the other room. All she could hear were a few mumbles, but nothing coherent. After about 20 minutes she gave up trying to listen and simply lay on top of the sheets of her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Phil has allowed her to put some glow in the dark stars to act as nightlights for the room.

That was her excuse anyways. They reminded her of one of the times she and Grant had gone into town. The local philharmonic held bi monthly shows at the concert hall and they projected the entire show onto the outside wall for the public. Phil had suggested it to them, claiming they needed to get out of the house at some point. Emily was kind enough to drop them off on her way back home. They brought a picnic blanket and basket with cheese and crackers and some other snacks. Picking a spot, they spread the blanket and settled in for the show. Skye didn't really see the appeal of classical music, it always put her to sleep, but Grant seemed to enjoy the soothing tones.

As the show began and music filled the air, Skye found herself laying down staring up at the stars. As the music swelled and the tempo increased, she thought she could see the stars dance along with the music, jumping and sliding to the sounds of the violins. The whole scene was enchanting. After a while she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Ward had joined her on the floor, but rather than staring at the stars, his gaze was on her. She resisted the urge to move her hands from her stomach and entwine her fingers with his, instead focusing on how close his body was to hers. She could feel her heart beat in time with the beat of the music, as he moved his hands from his stomach to his sides. She copied him, placing her hand inches away from his. Skye turned to face him and for a moment they lay looking at each other. Skye felt herself closing the gap between them when the piece ended. Everyone around them began to clap and whistle. The sudden change helped to snap the duo out of their trance. Shaking her head, Skye stood up and joined the crowd in clapping. Ward stayed where he was on the floor, clapping gently. They rest of the night continued as normal, the car ride home was quiet and when they reached the house they both said goodnight and headed off to bed, but as soon as Skye got into bed she began to go recount the feelings she had felt on the grass. The feeling of happiness, and safety she had never truly felt before. She wanted to remember that feeling forever, so the next day she asked Phil for the glow in the dark stars.

Skye was thinking through the memory when Phil quietly knocked on her door. She jumped up and opened it without a second thought.

"Did you convince him to stay?" Phil shrugged,

"For now, but we need to think of a plan of action to help him." Skye nodded, already thinking of all the options that were available to them. Her thoughts were interrupted by an unfamiliar voice from behind Coulson,

"I've got one, but you're not going to like it."

* * *

**Who is this unfamiliar person in Coulson's house?**

**Take a guess!**

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	7. Chapter 7

"So what exactly is your plan May?" Coulson asked as he set a cup of tea on the table infront of the woman.

"You're not going to like it."

"Well you have to give a chance not to like it. I can't decide that if you dont tell me what it is." Skye studied the brooding woman sitting at the table in front of her. Phil had introduced her as Melinda May, a friend and former coworker at the CIA. She had been a field agent until an injury had doomed her to a life of administration work. She was apparently Coulson's contact in the CIA that was helping him with Brennan Cybernetics.

May gripped the cup and brought it gently to her lips, blowing away the steam before taking a small sip.

"May, we don't have forever. Please indulge us on the idea I'm not going to like." Skye could clearly see that Melinda May was not one to be rushed when she shot Coulson a terrifying look. She took another sip of tea and then cleared her voice,

"He should go." Coulson stood up straight and crossed his arms,

"You were right, I'm not liking this plan." May's lips twitched in annoyance,

"You should let me finish. He is clearly terrified of what Garrett will do if he doesn't go back. There's nothing you can do that will keep him here short of tying him up. It will be easier if you let him go."

"I promised this man that I would do whatever it takes to help him, and somehow I don't think that letting him go back to that psychopath alone classifies as 'helping' him."

"Phil, you should really reconsider your listening ability. At what point did I say he should go alone?" Silence. "The big guys have been looking at Garrett and his group for a long time, and they've been trying to get an inside man to get intel on their drug trade and bring him down, but Garrett's not a trusting guy." Coulson began to catch on,

"If we send Grant back in with an undercover, he can vouch for them, and get them in." May nodded,

"Once we've got what we need, we can take out Garrett and Grant will be free." Skye still wasnt convinced,

"Who knows how long this undercover op will go? I've seen ones on TV that months, even years." Coulson smiled and May shook her head,

"You really shouldn't base things off TV. At most it will take a month. It also helps that Grant is already so high up with Garrett." Skye still didn't feel right,

"Okay. But you still don't know whether he'll agree to that." That seemed to give the older agents a pause, "There has to be a way, besides sending him head first into danger." May looked doubtful,

"He's going to go anyways, but at least with this, he can lock Garrett up for good." Skye could see the sense behind the womans words. She sighed,

"We still need to ask him."

"Don't bother." They all turned to see Grant in the doorway, "I'll do it. But you don't need an undercover. I'll go in alone."

"What?!" came the simultaneous response, May stood up and made her way over the Grant. She extended her hand,

"Melina May, I've been informed on your situation and we may have a solution." Grant didn't acknowledge the hand.

"I heard the plan. Like I said, I'll do whatever it takes to bring down Garrett but I'm not putting the life of a stranger at risk. If were doing this the only life at risk will be my own." Skye dropped her arms and took a step towards Grant,

"Grant, its too dangerous. What if Garrett realizes what you're doing? You cant-"

"Skye, I'm doing this," he interrupted, "I've dealt with Garrett before, I can take care of myself." He looked back up to May, "Tell me what I have to do."

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**Its short chapter but hopefully I can finish writing the next chapter by the end of the night.**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Yay for 2 chapters in one day!**

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Skye could feel a pit in her stomach. Grant had left for Garretts over a week ago and there was still no report on his mission. After he had been debriefed on his mission in Langley he had returned to the house to gather his things and say goodbye.

Skye had been waiting by the door, blocking Grant from leaving. "I still don't think this is a good idea. Theres so many unknowns, so many things that can go wrong." Grant placed his bags on the floor and pulled Skye into a hug.

"It's gonna be okay. I've dealt with Garrett before, I can do it again. If this means I can get him off the street and out of my life, then I'm all for it. Besides I've got back-up if anything happens." Skye snuggled her head against his chest, listening to the beating of his heart.

"Don't do anything stupid." Grant drew back and went to grab his stuff from the floor. Emily carefully guided Skye away from the door, clearing the space for Grant to leave. With a final huff, he opened the door and walked out to the dark SUV waiting for him outside. He handed off his bags to the driver and turned one last time towards the house, giving Skye a smile before slipping into the passenger seat. Skye watched the car pull out from the window, with a feeling in her chest that something was just not right.

The feeling remained as the week went on, the tightness in her chest increasing as each day passed without a word. She devoted herself to finishing up the renovations for the shed, she wanted to surprise Ward when he came back. Emily stayed with her uncle for the week helping Skye with the work for the shed, helping her keep her mind off Grant and his dangerous mission.

"Still no word?" Emily asked when she saw Skye staring at the screen infront of her, clearly not processing the images infront of her. Skye sighed and shook her head,

"Nothing. At least nothing they're telling me. Phil says he hasn't heard anything and May hasn't stopped by recently." She resumed scrolling through her laptop, looking for the perfect furniture for the loft bedroom in the shed. Emily continued to glance over at the young woman. Finally she reached over and closed the laptop,

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Clearly this is not helping you to take your mind off Grant. How about we do something else? I know Uncle Phil loves to talk about some of his old agency stories. I've heard them all but I'm sure he wouldn't mind telling some to you." Skye knew that Emily was only trying to help, and she was right to a certain extent, decorating was not helping her at this moment.

"Okay, lets go find Phil."

They found Phil outside working in the garden, trimming his lovely rose bush. When Emily suggested a story to help keep Skye's mind off Ward, he jumped at the opportunity.

"Just wait for me to get cleaned up and I'll meet you in the library."

"Library?" Skye asked, she still hadn't been able to explore the massive house yet. Emily dragged her along and up two flights of stairs to the third floor. Skye had never been up the third floor. Now she wish she had. It was a split between a giant library and computer base, All down the floor there were rows upon rows of books. Each shelf was filled with all sorts of books, with different covers and sizes, the two desks on either side were covered in half unread books and comics.

The other half of the floor was dedicated to computers and technology, Skye could see computers ranging from the early 90's macintosh to the iPad air, along with many different desktops and laptops, ranging from HP to Sony and Intel. There were even some brands she didn't recognize. It was essentially hackers paradise.

Emily led her through the library half of the floor to a clearing where 4 comfy chairs were laid out in a circle. _Looks like the meeting for a book club. _She thought to herself. Emily took one while Skye took the opportunity to peruse the different titles on the shelf nearby.

"Is this a first edition Great Gatsby?" she asked, gingerly pulling the novel off the shelf, Emily nodded,

"Yup, there are more first editions here than anywhere else, especially of comic books. I know Uncle Phil has a first edition Captain America hanging somewhere in his room."

"Whoa." She continued to read off different titles, most first editions of timeless classics. She saw Harper Lee, several Kurt Vonnegut, and even a pristine copy of The Sorcerers Stone. Skye was so enthralled by the amount of books she didn't notice when Coulson had joined them. He gave a little cough and she almost jumped out of her skin. Coulson gave a little chuckle seeing the look on the young woman's face,

"So I hear you want a story?" Skye nodded eagerly and took the chair next to Emily,

"I hear you've got quite a few. And apparently, you were a bad ass field agent." Coulson gave Emily a side glance,

"Let's not get in over our heads here. I did the job. Some may even say I did it well. But sometimes things did go wrong." Skye was itching to hear more,

"C'mon Phil, start with the story already!" Coulson laughed at her impatience but began nonetheless,

"It started off as a simple recon mission…"

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**A story about the great Phil Coulson? What could possibly go wrong?**

**Let me know what you think is going to happen, or what you want to happen. I really do take into consideration what you guys say.**

**as always please rate and review and tell me what you think. **

**Reviews make me a blushing bunny. **


	9. LAST AUTHORS NOTE I PROMISE

LAST THING I PROMISE:

I should've added this to the end of the last chapter but its UBER important: Would you rather read whats going on with Ward and Garret, and then Phil's story, or just jump right into phil's story then Ward's story later on in the story?


	10. Chapter 9

**I asked, you answered, most of you wanted to hear phil's story first. I'm sorry if it seems too childish but I honestly don't know much about how secret missions go. **

**I hope you enjoy it anyways!**

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"It started off as a simple recon mission. May and I were scouting out the building of a company suspected of laundering money for a terror organization. We were in the office building across the street, monitoring communications and studying the blueprints. It had been a long day and we were getting ready to wrap up for the day.

"These guys seem way too boring to be laundering money for terrorists. I mean, theres not even the brooding, mysterious CEO. He's a short chubby asthmatic with a wife and 2 kids." May had said. Even she had been bored with the silence. I laughed,

"You've been working way too long not to know the bad guy is not always attractive." May smiled and sighed,

"I was hoping just this once the bad guy would be hot." I smiled and turned back to my screen. It's a good thing I turned when I did. Mr Walsh, the CEO had just slipped into his office, locking the door behind him. He looked rattled and nervous, suspicious.

"May, I need the audio from the bug in Walsh's office, hes taking a call." May nodded and brought it up on the screen.

"_I did what you asked. I wired the money to your account, now you have to hold up the end of your deal."_

May and I looked at each other apprehensively. She raised her eyebrow and I nodded. She immediately turned to work on tracing the call.

"_I don't understand! What do you mean you want more?...I can't keep taking out money, the board is already suspicious….I only want my daughter back! Please!...Can I at least see her? Know shes okay?...I'll be there in an hour…."_

I heard the phone click as Mr Walsh hung up. I looked towards May, she was shaking her head. She hadn't been able to trace the call. The screen showed Mr. Walsh walking out of his office, briefcase in hand, no doubt heading to his car,

"Looks like it's about to get a lot less boring." I said as we scrambled to pack up. We made it to the car just in time to see Mr Walsh peel out of the parking garage. Now between May and I, I'm the safest driver, but May is better when it comes to tailing suspects, hands down. Luckily we had managed to place a tracker on his car beforehand so we followed a block behind so as not to draw suspicion.

We followed him all the way to the warehouse district. He finally stopped in front of an abandoned steel factory. Cliche, I know. Anyways, some gruff looking guys met him outside and brought him in. May already had her gun locked and loaded,

"As a precaution." She said.

We approached the building cautiously, making sure there were no guards outside. May signaled to my right where there was a fire escape crawling up the side of the building. We made our way over and climbed. We stopped at the second floor. I tried the window, which thankfully, was open. We made our way through, I thought it was incredibly odd we didn't run into any guards or henchmen. I heard conversation coming from down the stairwell. We creeped down, taking extra care not to alert anybody of our presence. When we finally reached the bottom I could finally make out the conversation.

"Mr Novak, I've done everything that you've asked, I've transferred the money, I've erased all your connections, now please, let me see my daughter." Mr Walsh sounded close to tears. I would've hugged him under different circumstances,

"I also asked that you not involve the cops. It seems you missed that part of the deal." I didn't need to see the man to know that Mr Walsh was very confused,

"I havent. I haven't told anybody! Not even my wife." Panic was rising in his voice.

"Bullshit. Don't think we didn't see those two agents camped out across the street!" I felt May tense up beside me, "I wouldn't be surprised if they tried following you here!" He spat out venomously. Between Mr Walsh's whimpers and the anger in the other man's voice I could tell the situation was escalating, and we had to act soon. May nodded towards me and burst through the door without hesitation, I followed in after.

Now you may not think realize this now, but May was one of the best agents the agency could offer, not only excelling at marksmanship, but in hand to hand combat. I had personally seen her do more damage in hand to hand combat than with a gun. So you can imagine what happened when we burst in.

May took out 2 guards on the left and I took the ones on the right, straight shots through the head. One gaurd came up behind her trying to catch her off guard. He strung his arm around her neck, trying to crush her windpipe. She elbowed him in the nose, kicked him in the gut then when he let her go, spun and kicked him straight in the face. She never really liked surprises.

Meanwhile I was busy trying to deal with Mr Novak and Mr Walsh. Once he realized he was on his own, Mr Novak went straight for the hostage approach, aiming his gun at the CEO.

"Is that something you really want to consider doing? You don't want to have his blood on your hands." I could tell he was antsy to escape. His eyes kept darting to the door behind him,

"I'll do it. Just let me leave and it'll all be worthwhile." He started to make his way to the exit, his eyes not leaving mine. Big mistake. In a minute May was on him. She kicked the gun out of his hand and forced him to the ground.

"Why is it always the attractive ones that are just so plain stupid?" She quipped as she ziptied the mans hands together. I made my way over to Mr Walsh,

"You said he had your daughter?" He nodded slowly, his face pale and his hands shaking,

May pulled Novak off the floor roughly,

"You either tell us and we make it easy or you don't tell us and we make sure you never walk straight again." Novak spat,

"Like I'm going to tell a bitch like you." May smiled,

"Alright then. I think we got our answer." With almost no effort she lifted him off the floor and swung him across the room. He hit the wall hard and crumpled to the floor. I could tell she was going to enjoy this,

"You keep an eye on these two, I'll check the rest of the building." I figured I might as well leave her to her fun.

I wish I could say that we didn't find Walsh's daughter and had to go on a whole other adventure to find her and bring her home, but May was not kidding when she called Novak stupid. I found her tied up on the other side of the building, frazzled but alive. To this day, I think Novak still walks with a limp, but I don't know how much walking hes doing in maximum security.

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By the time Phil wrapped up his story it was fast approaching dinner. Skye and Emily were so enthralled by the story they didn't even notice their grumbling stomachs. When Phil finished he looked at the young girl's eager faces, pleased that he had been able to entertain them,

"Whoa. May is bad ass!" Skye exclaimed. She found it hard to believe a woman of May's size could cause so much damage,

"For real! You never told me how kick ass May is Uncle Phil!" Phil shrugged,

"I guess I'm full of surprises. But those you have to discover another time. Who's hungry?" In response, the girl's stomach both growled. Phil smiled at the girl's embarrassed faces, "I guess I have my answer. Who wants some burgers?**"**

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**I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

**I feel like the moral of the story was don't call May a bitch, and the bad guy is not always smart. **

**Next up - Grant and Garret!**

**Let me know what you think will happen/what you want to happen**

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**Reviews make me a Happy Hippo!**


	11. Chapter 10

**Happy Easter (or passover or whatever you celebrate) Hope you enjoy!**

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It had been a week since he had returned to town and he still had been unable to make contact with his handlers, and more importantly Skye. It set him on edge that Skye, and Coulson, still didn't know how he was doing. Not that he was doing too bad.

As soon as Grant reappeared in town, Garrett had sought him out, sending guards to pick him up from the bus station and drive him to his house.

It was as gloomy and unimpressive as he remembered. The guards led him through the gates and through the dirty oak door. It all looked the same as it did 6 months ago. Burly, mean looking guys positioned throughout the house, some clearly high off some sort of drug, others simply staring off into the distance. There were also several girls parading through the house dressed in heels and lingerie, following guys into rooms, mewling for something to bring them to ecstasy. Grant saw his old self in the eyes of the men he passed, scared, alone, addicted. He felt the old emotions rise up in his chest and he quickly pushed the memories out of his head.

The guards led him up the stairs and into an equally gloomy and depressing office space. The walls were painted a dull grey color, and the yellow lights tinged the whole room a nasty shade of white. In the center sat a wooden desk. There wasn't much to be had on the desk, just a few papers here and there, but what drew Grant's attention was the man behind the desk.

John Garrett was an impressive man. At 5'11 he commanded respect from whatever room he entered. His black hair was slicked back with gel and his white teeth blinded when he smirked. The tattoos that ran along his arm showed his credentials as both a gang man, and a convicted felon. He sat behind the desk, reading over some papers. When Grant entered, Garrett shooed away the guards with a flick of his wrist. He put down the papers and leaned forward in the chair,

"Well lookie here. Looks like you got my message after all." He stood and strode over to Grant, eyeing him carefully, "I was beginning to think I lost ya. After you left in the middle of the night? No word, no call, no text?" Grant's eyes followed him as he circled, "Nearly broke my heart thinking I was never going to see you again."

"Well here I am. You found me. got what you wanted John." Garrett stopping his pacing, moving so he stood right infront of Grant, their faces inches away,

"Is that sarcasm I detect?" Grant did not respond, he could sense the anger in Garrett's voice as he continued, "I spend months searching for you, my _best friend _thinking you're halfway to hell. I _warn _you about the girl you killed, _and_ I offer to make it all go away! This is how you thank me? You give me _attitude_? You seem to forget, _I_ was the one who took care of you when daddy dearest thought you were a punching bag," Grant winced, "_I_ picked you up off the floor when you were too drunk to remember your own name. _I _gave you a job, a roof over your head, safety. I did all of that." They glared at each other for a few more moments. Grant finally spoke,

"I'm sorry." Garrett grinned,

"I forgive you." He walked back to his desk and settled back into his chair, "Like I promised, all the problems with the girl have gone away. I'd like to put you back into rotation as soon as possible. After you left, I had to find new guys and lets be honest, no one is better than you when it comes to getting deals done." He laughed as he began to write on a paper. Grant managed a weak grin. "Go talk to Raina she'll get you settled back in, no time at all." He gestured towards the door, "If you excuse me I have some business to attend to."

Grant nodded and made his leave. He went to go find Raina, Garrett's girlfriend. She was in charge of the outside operations, she met with dealers and oversaw the transfer of money and drugs. He never understood why Garrett and Raina were together, they argued more than they had normal conversations, and Grant was pretty sure Raina was sleeping with other people. He had asked Garrett once about it and he only laughed,

"Relationships aren't always about love. It's about the connections you make, advantageous connections no less. Besides who am I to judge who the bitch fucks?"

He found her in the drawing room downstairs. She was counting out money brought by dealers, and she wasn't happy.

"You're short 50." Her gaze pierced the gangly dealer in front of her,

"I was low on supplies, I needed the extra cash. It'll be added on with the next batch." Raina shook her head,

"You know the consequences when you're short on delivery." The dealer paled and began to stutter,

"B-but I-i will get the money! n-n-next batch!" Raina gestured to the guards standing behind her. One held a large crow bar. The other one caught the dealer trying to escape. He was still trying to stutter his way out. The guard grabbed his forearm and forced it onto the desk, palms down. The other one wound up the crowbar over his head. The dealer was screaming now, pleading. With one swift motion the guard brought down the crowbar on the hand. There was a sickening crunch as the the dealer screamed again. Grant grimaced, Raina didn't even flinch. The guards dragged him away while Raina packed up the bag of cash.

Grant cleared his throat. She turned around and gave him a suspicious look before returning to her work,

"You're back." she said nonplussed

"I am." He wasn't sure how she would react. He had not left her on good terms. She spoke again,

"Where were you?"

"Dealing with some things." Finally Raina turned and looked straight into his eyes,

"I tracked you. Found you in some town in the middle of nowhere. Now exactly what business did you have there?" Grant tried to hide his surprise. Raina was smart, tracked him to the town with Phil and Skye.

"Why didn't you tell Garrett?" Raina raised an eyebrow,

"I knew he had something planned to bring you back. What fun would it be if he dragged you back. Now instead I get to watch you squirm." She took a step forward, "What were you doing in that town for so long?" Another step, "What made you stay? What were you up to?" Grant could feel his heart rate begin to speed up. She couldn't find out about Phil. It wouldn't take much digging to find Phil's government connection, then the whole thing would go to shit. He focused on keeping his face emotionless,

"I was working on a construction project." A half truth. More convincing. "I needed the money and they were willing to pay cash. As soon as it finished, I was gonna head further east." Raina furrowed her brows, deciding whether or not to believe him. Grant quickly drew her focus on other things, "Garrett said you would get me settled, if you don't mind I've been travelling and I'm pretty tired." She nodded and pushed past him.

The week had gone by slow. Garrett kept Ward close at hand, having him run errands and deliver messages for him. Raina kept a close eye on him. He could tell she was still suspicious, and he didn't want to risk a call to his handlers or Skye with her watching him like a hawk. \

So when Garrett gave him a day off, Grant was relieved. Garrett may have been a drug king but he still respected the sabbath. Grant slipped out the house and headed towards the bar in town. He ordered a soda and nursed his glass for a good while before he stood up and made his way to the payphone by the bathrooms. He checked his surroundings before typing in the number.

"Davids Bar and Grill, what's your order."

"An order of ribs with sauce on the side." He still thought the code was lame.

"Let me check with the kitchen on that." The voice responded, followed by a click,

"Grant Ward, status update." he looked around again making sure the area was clear before speaking,

"All is going well so far. Garrett's talking about a big deal to go down soon. I'm not sure when though. I've got some names of some suppliers." He continued on his hiw report, making sure to include everything he had learned in the past week. When he finished, he paused for a moment before speaking,

"Permission to call Agent Coulson." He needed to hear Skye's voice. He missed it.

"Denied. Good work Mr. Ward. Keep in touch." The phone clicked and he was met with a dial tone. It was a vain hope that he would be able to contact Coulson. He was only a week in and he already felt like he had been away from the house for a month.

Grant shook his head. He needed to stay focused. He couldn't be distracted with thoughts of Skye and Coulson. He needed to focus on taking down Garrett. Only then could he be back with them, back to the ranch. He couldn't think of them.

He had to focus. Ward walked back to the bar and took a swig of his soda. He had to keep his emotions in check. He threw a 10 on the wood and walked out the bar. More determined than ever to take back his life.

* * *

**I hope you like how I included Raina.**

**Hope you liked it!**

**As always, please rate and review! **

**Let me know what you think will happen, what will happen, etc.**

**What do you want to happen?**

**Reviews make me a bustling bunny! (Easter Themed, get it?)**

**P.S. What do you say to introducing Fitzsimmons soon, seeing as they're the only members of the team that haven't mentioned?**


	12. Chapter 11

**Sorry this is a short chapter. I've been having a bit of a writer's block. Either way I hope you enjoy. **

* * *

3 weeks and still no word. The shed was almost finished and Skye was running out of things to take her mind off Grant. She had taken to barricading herself up on the 3rd floor, reading through the hundreds of comics and books that Coulson had stockpiled. She followed Coulson's initial wishes and avoided using the computers for anything other than catching up on some gossip.

Not that she hadn't thought of it. Her fingers twitched every time she closed out TMZ on the computer. It took every ounce of her self control not to hack into the CIA database and start searching for Ward.

May had offered her some self control and defense training, which Skye had gladly taken her up on. After Grant had been gone a week, Coulson had invited May to stay over and keep Skye company, as Emily had family issues she had to take care of and leave town for a bit. Skye had her suspicions that having May over was not just for her benefit, but she went along with it anyways.

They woke up every morning at dawn, and began with some tai chi and breathing exercises for an hour. Skye would then join Coulson on his morning jog and when they got back, May would have breakfast ready on the table. Skye liked the familial atmosphere that they had created, May acting like a brooding mother, and Phil being the over protective father. It almost made her forget her troubles. Almost.

They were eating breakfast when Coulson got a call. He frowned as he looked at the caller ID. Unknown. He considered for a moment before answering the call.

"Hello?"

Skye could hear the trickle of conversation on the other end. It was a deep voice talking fast and low. Coulson's face darkened and his mouth turned into a frown,

"What do you need?"

The conversation continued for a few more moments before it cut off abruptly, followed by a dial tone. Silence filled the room as May and Skye waited for Phil to explain the call.

"It was Grant. He needs help."

Skye felt her heart race. Grant was in in trouble and they needed to save him.

"How? What happened? What are we going to do?"

Phil stood up and started to rummage through the kitchen drawers, looking for something. May stepped out of the room, no doubt going to her own room so search for supplies.

"May and I are going to get him out. You, Skye are staying here."

Anger rose in her chest.

"Like hell I'm staying here. Grant needs our help. I'm going with you!"

Coulson shook his head. "Ah" he exclaimed as he found what he was looking for, a small silver trinket with a small black button right in the middle. "EMP" he explained, quickly putting it in his pocket he turned to go upstairs but Skye stood at the door, blocking the exit.

"Skye, move."

"I'm coming with you." Coulson shook his head,

"It's too dangerous for you out there." Skye stood unmoving. Her gaze boring into Coulson like a laser,

"I've been training with May, I can hold my own!" Coulson gave her a doubting look,

"You've been training for 2 weeks. May and I have been training a lifetime, and we still lose some. Besides Garrett and his men, there's always the threat of the Brennan guys finding you." Skye thought for a moment before responding, with the same anger, albeit a little softer than before,

"If it's so dangerous, why can't the CIA send in back-up? Why did he call you?" Coulson hesitated,

"Skye, it's more complicated than that." She raised an eyebrow, somehow not convinced it was that complicated. Coulson tried a different approach,

"You'll be safer here. It may not look like it from the outside, but this place is a fortress. As long as you don't don't do anything rash, you'll be safe here." Skye softened her gaze, the anger replaced by concern,

"It's not my safety I'm worried about." May shuffled in behind Skye, gently pushing her out of the way. She already had 2 bags draped over her shoulders. and she had changed into tactical gear. Coulson took the opportunity to slip out and up the stairs. Skye sighed, defeated. May grasped her shoulder comfortingly, understanding in her eyes,

"Don't worry. I'll keep him safe. We'll bring back Grant. I promise."

* * *

**Agh so Ward is in trouble! How will they help him? Will Skye just sit idly by? Will we ever see Fitz/Simmons?**

**Let me know what you think will happen, or what you want to happen. I'm always up for suggestions. **

**As always rate a review. **

**Reviews make me a happy birthday girl. **


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey guys, its another small update! The next 3 weeks will be literally insane, with SAT, AP's and everything else under the sun. I hope you enjoy this little piece.**

* * *

_That stupid bitch_ Grant thought as he ran. He should have figured that Raina wouldn't let him get off too easily. He was mentally kicking himself for letting his guard down. Raina was smart, smart enough to do her research on the town. It would only took her a day to find Phil and discover his connections. She must of sat on the information, waiting for the prime opportunity to give him up. Apparently it presented itself during a strategist meeting between all the bosses. Garrett was already pissed and all it took was a few words here and there from Raina for John to understand. It all went to shit from there.

Grant managed to run out the room and block the door, hoping to keep them busy enough to make a call. He ran down the hall and navigated his way to the front door. Careful to avoid any guards. Once he reached outside he ran down the street and behind a dumpster.

With shaking hands he pulled out his cell phone and dialed the first number that appeared in his head. The phone rung twice before someone answered,

"Hello?" Grant didn't pause to feel the relief at hearing Phil's voice. Rather he spoke quickly, he didn't have much time,

"The mission had been compromised. Garrett knows about you and the op. I'm in the clear for now, but they're coming." He could hear the man breathing on the other end for a moment before he spoke,

"What do you need?"

"I need a way out of here. Garrett has eyes at all the bus ports, and I can't risk stealing a car, it'll draw too much attention." Grant could hear the angry shouts of men coming from the building he just left. "I have to go. Call me when you have an extraction." He hung up without another word.

The men were getting closer. Grant realized how stupid it was to stop so close. There was no way Garrett was going to let him leave again. Especially after betraying him to the cops. Grant tensed his muscles as the men drew closer. He could hear at least 2. He could take 2. Praying he was right, he lunged out at the men.

* * *

Skye was scared. She was scared for Grant. Scared for Melinda. Scared for Phil. The little family she had created for herself was in trouble and she was expected to just sit around.

As soon as she heard the door close behind Phil, Skye made her way up to the third floor and plopped herself down in front of the best computer she could find. Cracking her fingers and began to furiously type. It was only minutes before she was inside the CIA database. She pulled up the op details and skimmed through the material. Several words popped out,

_Difficult communication_, _Dangerous circumstances_, _Extraction impossible._

Sky could feel a lump in her throat. Things were not going well on the op. She searched the details, finding the phone that they provided Grant for the op, using the GPS to track the location. A little map came up on the screen with a little green blip in the middle symbolising Grant. It was moving fast along the streets. weaving in and out of different alleys and streets. After a few more minutes the blip came to a rest in a building. A quick search showed it was in the middle of an abandoned warehouse.

She reached out and dialed in the number, but her finger paused before hitting the dial. She thought for a moment of passing along the coordinates to Phil and May instead. Expedite the rescue process. _I need to make sure he's okay, _Skye thought as she pressed the green dial button. The phone rang once before she could hear the breathy, whispered voice of Grant on the other line,

"Hello?"

"Grant?!" there was a moment of confusion on the other end before Grant responded in a hushed tone,

"Skye? What the hell? How did you get this number?" Skye could hear his whispers echo in the empty room around him.

"The how isn't important. What is going on? Is everything ok?" She could hear Grants haggard breathing, as he thought the best way to explain his situation.

"I'm ok for now. I called Phil, he should be-"

"He's on his way," Skye interrupted, "he and May left about an hour ago. They're on their way. They wouldn't let me go. They said it was too dangerous." She heard the rustle of movement on the other end and a grunt of pain as Grant adjusted his position,

"They're right. It's not safe over here. Garrett is out for blood. If he knew of you, and Coulson… theres no telling what he would do."

"But I could help!" Grant chuckled and immediately gasped in pain, "Grant, are you okay?"

"Ya, just a few bruises. You know how you can help? Send my coordinates to Phil, so he can get me out of here. Can you do that?" Skye hummed her agreement. Her fingers flying over the keyboard, sending the coordinates to Phil's cell. Within a moment she got a confirmation message from Phil, accompanied by a disapproving emoji.

"Sent." Grant murmured his thanks,

"I have to go Skye. I'll see you when I get back." he begun to hang up when Skye called out again, grabbing his attention, "What?"

"Don't die out there. Promise me Grant. Come back home." There was a pause before he responded,

"I promise. See you later Skye." The phone clicked and the line went dead. Skye leaned back into the chair, letting out a shaky breath, staring at the blip on the screen that was Grant Ward.

"Come back. Please come back."

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! I hope I didn't leave you with too much to think about.**

**I'm thinking a little touristy Fitzsimmons for the next chapter (courtesy of LadyMorganaPendragon), just to get a little break. **

**As always rate and review. Let me know what you think.**

**Don't be afraid to let me know what you want to happen. I'm always up for suggestions. **

**I hope this can hold you over until the next chapter. **

**Until then...**

**Reviews make me a giddy school girl :-)**


	14. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! I am so so so so so so so so so sorry about taking so long to update but the last few weeks have been crazy with SATs, AP Calc, English, and US History, helping set up for my middle schools play (It was sound of music and they killed it!), my sisters birthday (we watched pitch perfect 2) and finishing up a video for a super important disney contest. To make a long story short, its been hectic. But now I'm done and I have 3 weeks of basically nothing until summer, so that means a lot of down time to write and do whatever. I saw Age of Ultron and the season finale of Shield. HOLY SHITTAKE MUSHROOMS MAN. I'm not going to spoil either one for you guys, but seriously, whats taking so long!?**

**Anyways, I woke up extra early today so I could write and finish this up for you guys. I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

May drove through the town as fast as she could, without appearing to be in a rush. as to not alert Garrett and his men of their arrival. This method of driving, unfortunately, meant a lot of abrupt stops at red lights and a lot of twists and turns. Phil could feel himself getting sick, the meager breakfast he had threatening to come back up,

"Do you think you could slow down at the turns a bit more?" May didn't respond, but sure enough, the breakfast stayed down as they gracefully turned the next corner.

"How much farther?" May asked, not even bothering to take her eyes off the road. Phil looked down at the GPS in his hand, the blue dot signifying Grant remained where it had been since Skye had sent them the coordinates. It was either a very good sign, or a very bad one.

"About a quarter of a mile, big abandoned building off to the left." They sped along and in another minute the outline of the building appeared in the skyline, approaching fast. May stopped the van a block over, out of direct sight, and turned to look at Phil,

"You go in and find Grant, I'll keep a lookout outside. Call me if there are any problems." Phil nodded and checked his gun before opening the door and heading towards the building.

It appeared no different than any other office building, granted this one had a few more broken and boarded up windows than the others surrounding it. Phil saw that there was nobody keeping a guard outside and made his way in, gun raised. He crept through the 1st floor, calling out for Grant is a hoarse whisper. He was met only with silence. Phil could feel the dread begin to pool in his chest. He swallowed hard and made his way up to the 2nd and 3rd floor.

Finding the 2nd floor empty, Phil had begun to plan a way out of the building in the event Grant was not on the 3rd, and final floor. Nobody seemed to be watching the building, so it could be easy to just walk out.

Phil pushed open the door leading from the stairs. It was just as quiet as the first 2 floors. Fighting the feeling of dread, he stepped forward, clearing each room until he reached what used to be the break room. There was something wrong. Unlike the other doors, which had been left open and unlocked, this one had been kicked open, the wood by the doorknob splintered as though it had been locked and forcibly opened. Using the barrel of his gun, he gently pushed open the door.

* * *

"Come with me Skye! You can't spend the whole time tucked away in this house! It's not healthy!" Emily was begging again. Skye had refused to leave the house the 3 days that Coulson and May had been gone and Emily was trying to get her to come to the coffee shop with her. "You need to breathe some fresh air, move your legs!"

"There's a giant backyard full of fresh air and space for me to run around and stretch my legs. I'm fine here." Skye crossed her arms in defiance, "For all I know they could need me, to hack something, or call someone…" Emily flashed a sympathetic smile,

"I know you're worried about them love, but sitting here moping is not going to help them. You need to get out and stretch your legs," Skye opened her mouth to interrupt but Emily continued, "away from this house. If you're that concerned lets try this." She moved to the Coulsons study on the right and emerged a few moments later with Skye's laptop. The hackers eye's widened and Emily's smile deepened, "If they need your help, they will call you, and you can use your laptop. At. the. Coffeeshop." Emily paused at the last few words to let the hacker know it was not up for debate.

Skye gave a sigh and pushed herself up from the couch,

"I better go get dressed then. Don't want to look like a hobo, now that I have access to a shower." Emily gave a hum of approval and watched the younger woman tread up the stairs hesitantly.

* * *

"Oh Fitz! I told you we should've turned ages ago! Now we're lost!" Simmons looked at the map laid out in front of her,

"We're not lost Simmons! I know exactly where we are! Not long before we reach town!" Fitz snapped back. Simmons have a humph of disapproval,

"We haven't even seen a bloody house for miles! That does not bode well for a town nearby!" Fitz clenched the steering wheel nervously, he didn't want to admit that he had no clue where he was going. It had been his idea to spend their last summer together after graduation on the road, and he had insisted on driving. He hadn't heard Jemma suggest they turn. He was too busy trying not to admire how the sun hit her gorgeous brown hair, or the cute determined look on her face while she studied the map. By the time he snapped out of his thoughts they were miles away and very lost. He had also been eyeing the gas gauge, watching the red indicator fall closer and closer to empty. Fitz was all but ready to admit his mistake when Jemma gasped and pointed,

"Oh! Look a house!" sure enough a beautiful white house, or maybe it was a hotel, appeared on their dashboard. Both scientists gaped at the intricate architecture and the perfectly manicured lawn. Jemma noticed a car parked in the driveway,

"Someones home! Let's stop and ask for some directions!" Fitz was still too busy admiring the house to disagree. He pulled up next to the car and shut off the engine. Their eyes taking in the view as they gingerly went up the steps. Fitz was about to knock when the door swung open and a small woman with brown hair and a laptop in hand barreled into him. They both went sprawling on the floor, Fitz cushioning her fall. Jemma gasped,

"Fitz? Are you alright?" he groaned and the young woman scrambled to get up off of him, simultaneously calling out,

"Emily! Little help here!" Jemma stuck out her hand and helped pull Fitz up. The woman with the laptop studied them carefully, hugging said laptop closer to her chest, as if afraid they would take it from her, "Emily?" She called again, a little louder. From inside the house came a reply.

"I'm coming! Relax! You were the one who wanted to stay in the house. Why are you so eag-" A tall young woman with blonde hair and green eyes appeared at the door, she paused mid-thought at the sight of the two scientists. She studied them for a moment before speaking, "Can I help you?"

Jemma scrambled into action, extending her hand towards the blonde,

"I'm Jemma Simmons and this is Fitz. It appears as though we are horribly lost. We were wondering if we could trouble you for some directions to the nearest patch of civilization." The blonde looked at the hand warily but did not move to take it,

"I'm Emily and this is Skye. We were about to head back to civilization. You're welcome to follow us." Jemma retracted her hand and smiled,

"That would be wonderful, right Fitz?" She turned to look at her companion. Her smile dropped at his sheepish expression, "What's wrong Fitz?" The young man reached up and nervously ran his fingers through his curly hair before explaining,

"Well you see Jemma, all this wandering around, exploring and stuff," Jemma gave him an unamused look at the mention of exploring, "it seems as though we're out of gas." Jemma gave a huff of frustration before turning back to Emily,

"Would it be terribly inconvenient if you were to bring us by to get some gas? I understand if you have someplace to be, we could find a way back, and we would be out of your hair by the time you returned home." This time the brunette, Skye, spoke,

"Of course not, we have no problem taking you to get some gas. In fact you should stay for some dinner. I know how to make a great ravioli." She gave Jemma a smile, which she reciprocated. Emily stepped out the door and turned to lock it. She then moved to the left where there sat an alarm box.. Using her hand to block the passkey from the scientists view, she typed in the code and set the alarm. Turning, she smiled and gestured to the car,

"Shall we head out then?"

* * *

**So? What do you think? I'm sorry for leaving a cliffhanger on Coulson and Ward, but I want to know, What do YOU think he finds in the breakroom?**

**What did you guys think of Fitzsimmons? Was it too much? Idk. I hope they're not too OOC. **

**Please dont forget to favorite and review!**

**Reviews make me a destressed student (I'm running out of ideas for what to say!)**


	15. Chapter 14

The dining room was filled with the sound of clattering utensils and light conversation. Skye enjoyed the company, after going a week without any real human contact besides from Emily's visits. She dug into the lasagna as she listened to her two guests spoke,

"You see, getting fast tracked through secondary school, and then uni, there was no real time for a vacation."Jemma explained, "There isn't much to do anyways when you're 16 in a new country, especially with the higher drinking age."

"Not that you weren't fascinated by the work being offered by MIT." Fitz interjected, "And the engineering program was a distraction in its own self." Skye couldn't help but study the way the two scientist finished eachothers sentences and were totally comfortable with each other.

Emily had already confused them as a couple, and Skye giggled at the way both their faces heated in embarrassment at the assumption, while they vehemently denied it.

"Just good friends," they explained.

"Suuure." Skye heard Emily whisper under her breath. The scientists, Fitzsimmons as Emily had dubbed them, launched into the story of how they decided to use their summer break for some traveling and ended up lost in the middle of nowhere and stumbled upon the house.

"And may I add it is a lovely home! Quite large for just the two of you. Family estate?" Jemma asked, as her eyes swept over the beautifully crafted door frames and window sills.

"It's not actually ours," Emily quickly explained, "the house belongs to my uncle. He's usually here, along with a couple others. But for now it's just the two of us." Jemma raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth to speak, but Fitz beat her to the punch,

"Where's your uncle and the others?" Emily's face sobered up, and Skye placed her fork on the plate, her appetite suddenly gone.

"Away on business," Emily responded, the warmth from their earlier conversation gone. The scientists seemed to feel the shift in the atmosphere. Jemma quickly began to launch into another story when Skye's phone went off.

Skye jumped at the sudden noise and glanced at the screen. Her eyes widened as she read the name and picked up the phone without hesitation,

"Coulson?"

"Hey Skye. You got a minute?"

* * *

"This is Agent 616, I need an ambulance at my location. I have an asset down, requesting backup and medical assistance." May spoke into the phone, keeping an eye on the hall while Coulson kept pressure on Grant's abdomen.

After finding Grant unconscious and bleeding on the floor, Phil had lept into action, placing pressure on the gunshot wounds in an effort to prevent the man from bleeding out. May informed him that EMT's were 2 minutes out and left him to make sure the rest of the building was clear.

"Grant, stay with me! I've got you. Stay with me." He could hear the sirens faintly in the distance. He decided to take his chances, and removed one hand to reach for Grants face. He gripped his face and gently slapped the younger man, trying to get him to wake up. He was rewarded with a slight groan. Grant was still alive. Phil released the breath he did not realize he was holding. "Hold on Grant. Helps coming."

As soon as the ambulance pulled in, May and Phil were pulled into debriefs. Phil didn't even get a chance to check in on Grant. The agency had assured him that they would take good care of Grant and keep him safe.

As Coulson entered each meeting he became increasingly frustrated. Following the discovery of Grant as a mole, Garrett's team had tried to disappear, not before the proper authorities had been notified and the whole operation had been dismantled.

What frustrated Coulson was the news that in the chaos, Garrett and Raina had been allowed to escape. The authorities were publicizing the bust as a success, the dissolving of a blight on the community. Without his men, Garrett would be unable to continue his drug trade, and be absolutely useless.

Coulson had his doubts. From what Grant had told him, Garrett was a well connected man. A man that connected and powerful didn't just give up when things got tough. He would get creative. And Coulson was truly concerned about Garrett's creativity.

Finally, after 3 days, May and Coulson were released from the debriefs and allowed to visit Grant. He had lost a lot of blood, and was currently in a medically induced coma, to allow him time to heal from his injuries. The doctors were confident he would recover soon, but Coulson was still wary of the guards outside the room.

He found a quiet place in the hospital before he pulled out his phone and dialed in a number. It rang once before someone picked up,

"Coulson?"

"Hey Skye. You got a minute?"

"A minute? For you Phil, I've got all the time in the world. What happened? Where's Grant? Is May okay? Where are you? Are you coming home? What happened!"

"One thing at a time Skye."

"Okay. Let's start with the basics, how's Grant?"

"He's in stable condition. The doctor's say he should make it through."

"What the hell happened Phil? What happened to Grant?"

"He got in a spot of trouble."

"Phil.."

"It's nothing to worry about Skye. What's important is that he's okay." There was silence on the other end, Coulson began to worry, "Skye? Everything okay over there?"

"Uh yea," came the distracted reply, "Everything is fine over on this end. We have some guests…"

"Guests?" came Coulson's confused reply,

"Yes, guests. Some kids got lost and ran out of gas outside, we invited them for dinner."

"Skye, you know how I feel about unknown guests-"

"Emily already ran their background checks. They check out. Child prodigies, geniuses in chemistry and engineering and completely smitten with each other." Coulson couldn't hold in his chuckle. Skye would be the one to pick up two strays.

"I feel as though there's a question in the mix."

"Well, seeing as they're cleared, and they don't have anywhere to be, aaand there's quite a few extra rooms…"

"We'll discuss this when we get home."

"And when's that Agent Coulson?" Coulson ignored the teasing tone,

"Until then, they can stay." There was an eek of excitement on the other end of the phone,

"Awesome Phil! Can't wait to see you guys! Tell Grant I miss him!" Coulson turned towards the bed and studied the unconscious man for a brief moment,

"I will. I have to go. We'll talk soon. Stay out of trouble."

"No promises."

Coulson hung up, smile on his face. He turned back towards Grant and looked him over once more before setting off to find a way to bring everyone home.

* * *

**Hey guys sorry its been so long, time kinda got away from me, I've had this written for a week now and just got around to posting it. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it. As always dont forget to rate and review and let me know what you think is going to happen. I will try to update again this week. In the meantime check out my other 2 stories, they're well worth the read I think.**

**Also, if you happen to find any grammatical, or spelling, or continuity mistakes, please dont be afraid to let me know, and I'll change them as soon as I can.**

**Thanks!**

**-Alex**


	16. Chapter 15

Skye hung up the phone and returned to the dining room. Jemma and Fitz had taken it upon themselves to clear the table, and their conversation was audible in the next room. Emily raised a curious eyebrow at the young woman and gestured to the seat next to her.

"Was that Uncle Phil? How's he doing? What happened?" Skye shifted closer to the girl, wary of the guests overhearing their conversation,

"They're okay. At least that what he told me. Something happened to Grant, but he's okay now. Phil wouldn't tell me what exactly what went down, but they'll be home soon. Emily smiled and grabbed the hacker's hand,

"They're safe! See, there's nothing to worry about. They'll be home soon." Skye sighed, nobody had died. This was good news. So why was there still a ball of anxiety in her stomach? The two scientist bustled into the dining room again, and Emily pulled her hand away from Skye. They had to attend to their guests.

"Jemma, let me show you where you guys will be staying tonight." She gestured to the door, for the third time that night, Jemma tried to decline the invite for the scientists,

"Oh Emily, really we don't want to impose. I'm sure the nearest motel would be just fine." Emily wouldnt budge,

"It is dark already and the nearest Motel is in Eastbrook 50 miles away. Besides, it's not like there's no space here for you guys." Jemma finally raised her hands in surrender. Emily gave a satisfied nod and led the two scientists up the stairs.

Skye made sure to wipe down the table and put away the leftovers before grabbing a blanket and switching on the TV. It was close to 11, so her options were either late night shows or the News. She was clicking through the channels on her way to comedy central when something caught her eye.

_Brennan Cybernetics To Announce New CEO, Following Sudden Death of Daniel Whitehall _

Skye's blood ran cold as she turned up the volume. The reporter was positioned outside the entrance of Brennan's headquarters,

"_Earlier this evening, Raina Valentine, spokesperson for the company confirmed that there was indeed going to be an announcement regarding the new leadership of the company in the next few days, following the sudden death of the company's previous CEO, Daniel Whitehall."_

The reporter was replaced with a photo of Daniel Whitehall, with his circular glasses and white hair, even after death, his gaze still gave Skye goosebumps. The scene changed to a mansion surrounded by police cars. The camera focused on a pair of paramedics leading a gurney out the front door. On the gurney was a veiled figure, presumably Whitehall. The reporter's voice spoke over the video,

"_As many here remember, it was only a few months ago when Mr. Whitehall was found dead in his study by none other than his protege Ian Quinn."_ The scene cut to Quinn alongside Whitehall, smiling and waving to the cameras at one of the new lab openings. "_It was initially suspected that Quinn had poisoned his mentor in an effort to gain control of the company, but following the autopsy ruling that Whitehall passed due to a brain aneurysm, Quinn was cleared of all charges. Insiders within Brennan speculate that Quinn will indeed take over the company and continue Whitehall's commitment to 'improving the human condition, one step at a time.' With Channel 4 news, I'm Julie Wen."_

Skye muted the TV before the next story came on. She had come across the name Ian Quinn several times while looking into Brennan Cybernetics. His name started to appear more often as she dug deeper and deeper into Project Hartford. On paper he seemed like a pretty bad dude. Now he was in charge of the whole company. There was no limit to what he could accomplish now.

Sometime during the broadcast, Jemma and Emily had wandered into the room. Fitz had apparently called it a night.

"I met Ian Quinn once, and I must say, he's not a particularly nice man." The other girls turned their attention to Jemma.

"Really?" Asked Emily, "I mean on TV he seems alright." The scientist shrugged,

"It was at a recruiting fair at the university, Whitehall was giving a big talk and Quinn was in charge of minding the tent. Fitz was basically bursting with excitement over Whitehall being there, so naturally, as soon as the talk was over he dragged me over to the booth." Skye leaned closer, her interest piqued, "Anyways, when we got there Quinn was there in the booth arguing with some older man. The man was saying something about payments and Quinn was talking about some failed deliveries, I'm not too certain on the details. When the man saw us he stalked off and Quinn flat out refused to answer any questions Fitz had for him. Safe to say, any interest he had in Brennan and Whitehall was sufficiently extinguished."

"Wow, what an asshole."

Skye murmured her agreement before turning back to the muted TV, flipping through the channels before settling on an episode of Friends. It wasn't long before Skye was fighting the urge to yawn. She tossed the remote to Emily and wished the girls goodnight before heading up the stairs to her room.

Skye went to the window to close the curtains to change for bed when she saw a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. Confused, she stopped a moment to examine the exterior of the house.

Emily had since informed her of all the security protocols that her uncle had installed in the house, including motionsense cameras, floodlights and an automatic house-shut-down, that when activated, caused all the doors and windows to be shut and locked automatically and the authorities notified.

Regardless, Skye felt a bit uneasy as she scanned the dark outside. She had set the alarm before she had gone upstairs, so if there was anybody outside, they would be caught in the floodlights. Seeing nothing, she shrugged and closed the curtains, brushing off the movement as a trick of light against the window.

* * *

The following morning Skye woke to the smell of cooking bacon. It seemed to be a theme in this household. She trudged her way down the stairs and was surprised to find the two scientists bustling around the kitchen. Fitz was manning the stovetop, humming happily as the bacon crackled on the pan, while Jemma was pulling out a plate of croissants. Skye joined Emily at the doorway, watching the two scientists work.

"What's going on?" Emily shrugged,

"I came downstairs to find them rifling through the fridge. Well Jemma at least. Fitz was still half-asleep I think. They insisted on making us breakfast in thanks. And who am I to say no to a fully prepared meal. I pointed them in the right direction and here we are." A timer went off and Fitz set to work setting the bacon on a plate to cool while Jemma moved things back and forth from the dining room.

It was another couple of moments before Jemma declared that breakfast was served and they all made their way to the table. It was a simple breakfast, but a delicious one nonetheless. Emily couldn't contain her moans of pleasure as she bit into her cinnamon roll and Skye ate her bacon and eggs so quick she was afraid of getting a stomach ache. The conversation itself was light and entertaining. Fitz told the story about how one of his inventions caused the fire alarm to go off in his dorm and his entire dorm had to evacuate the building in the snow at 3 in the morning. Emily talked about how her co-workers had a bet about when Glasses-guy at the coffee shop would ever get up the courage to ask her out. There were plenty of laughs all around.

When it came time to do the dishes, Skye demanded the scientists allow the hosts to clean for once.

"You're the guests! Now go watch some TV in the meantime. We'll join you soon." Fitz was more than happy to curl up on the couch, while Jemma looked sceptical but went to the living room anyways. As promised, the two girls were done cleaning quickly and joined their guests. There was a news report about a stolen car, but otherwise it was a slow day.

Skye turned off the TV and turned to the other couple,

"So, I have a proposition." Jemma sat at attention and Fitz leaned forward, "Phil, the owner of this house, is gonna be here soon, and he's going to want to meet you guys. Which basically means, you cant go disappearing on us and getting lost." Jemma opened her mouth the argue but Skye kept on, "You guys are supposed to be exploring on vacation and such, but as luck would have it youre here with us. So here's how we kill two birds with one stone. On her way to work, Emily will drop us off at the town's hi-line, and then we'll make our way around town and act like tourists then Emily can pick us up from wherever and bring us back home. Sound like a deal?"

Jemma appeared to have at least a dozen concerns but Fitz spoke before she could get a word out,

"As long as we don't have to drive for a few days, were okay with anything." Skye clapped her hands in excitement.

"Great! I hope you guys brought sneakers!"

* * *

**Hello my friends! Long time I know! I'm so so so so so sorry about taking so long to update. i realize that this short chapter cannot possibly make up for the big gap of time I've allowed to pass between updates but life's been a little crazy (I was on the road for 2 weeks, and for 3 weeks before that I was commuting to and from camp) and I've also had other stories in progress. I just rediscovered my desire to write this story, and what started as a shot in the dark has started to come together in a plan. (This means ive spent quite a bit of time revisiting my past chapters to connect dots and generate a feasible storyline)**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I will do whatever I can to continue this story. **

**Please let me know what you think, It always means a lot to me. **

**-Alex**


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